un csw 60 - islamic relief presentation

The role of Microfinance in reducing exclusion, and promoting women and girls’ economic rights and empowerment – The

Bangladesh Experience Mousumi Saikia, Thursday 17 March 2016

1. General Overview - Social Exclusion

2. Microfinance – role in promoting inclusion and empowerment

3. Theory of Change

4. Islamic Relief Worldwide’s Approach

5. Case Study

6. Evidence of Achievements

7. Islamic Relief’s Distinct Solution

Contents

CSW60, 14 - 24 March 2016, New York

General Overview - Social Exclusion


• Social exclusion - key determining factor of poverty and material deprivation1

• Social exclusion is complex and multidimensional2

• Poor societies – economic exclusion is at the heart of the issue of exclusion3

• Gender remains one of the most fundamental sources of inequality and exclusion, spanning public and private spheres4 - higher barrier for women to access finance

Microfinance – role in promoting inclusion and empowerment


• Financial inclusion - critical to achieve inclusive growth and women’s empowerment and sustainable economic growth and development.

• Empowerment - a multidimensional and interdependent process1.

• Meaningful empowerment and participation - require efforts to balance power relations, both at the level of agency2 and structure3.

• Not enough to provide financial interventions to address only material deprivation4

• Address wider issues which have a huge impact on the lives of poor people5

Theory of Change


• Social empowerment model which integrates the micro and macro level1 – Address empowerment more holistically

• Bangladesh IMF ventures – integrating and harnessing the synergies between I-MF, gender justice and child protection2

Theory of Change


Addressing the underlying issues which exclude women and constrain equitable opportunities and participation will:

• Increase women’s and girls’ agency and they will have genuine access to and control over economic resources;

• Enable their participation in the family and community decision making processes;

• Give them more power to balance their roles and mobilise against or report violent incidents;

• This in turn will respond to their strategic gender needs and enhance their ability to participate in, contribute to and benefit equitably from development.

Islamic Relief Worldwide’s Approach

Changing the life of Motoara Begum


“I was very happy the day my husband pulling our own van came with the full income without rental cost and gave the money to me”.

Evidence of Achievements


Project Name

# Clients # SHG & Cooperative

Impact on different spheres

Economic Empowerment & access to finance

Rights, Protection and Justice

Access to Service Access to WASH

ICAP 5000 200 SHG and 1 Cooperative

5000 women and girls are engaged in IGAs like agricultural production and livestock rearing.

Protected 8 forced marriage, 9 illegal divorces, 29 domestic violence and 5 polygamies.

Ensured social safety net enrolment for 6 old aged women and 4 widowed women.

85 sanitary latrine set and 42 tube well were claimed and constructed from local govt. fund.

578 sanitary latrine and 265 tube well were constructed through cooperative initiative.

PROVED 1500 50 SHG and 1 Cooperative

All beneficiaries are very actively engaged in savings mobilisation, group and individual IGAs.

Diversified IGAs are very common under this cooperative.

Protected 4 child marriage, 6 domestic violence and 4 dowry payment.

100% children’s schooling of direct beneficiary HHs is ensured.

Access to local Govt. office, Bank and market places is critically improved.

Women rights and choices in decision and protection against domestic violence is ensured under collective action.

Sanitation and tube well for all beneficiaries are ensured by their regular savings.

Islamic Relief’s Distinct Solution


• Microfinance services maintaining Islamic Shari'ah principles and savings product to beneficiaries along with awareness programmes.

• Beneficiaries provided assets rather than cash loans.

• Training is an integral part of IMF programmes to develop the beneficiaries in particular IGA so that beneficiaries can use optimum opportunity of their skills.

• IMF programmes are not profit driven, but rather the focus is beneficiaries’ progress towards poverty alleviation.


Thank you

un csw 60 - islamic relief presentation

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